You Realize You're a Distraction
by Buttercupbadass
Summary: Pairs ice skater, Katniss Everdeen, is focused on winning Olympic gold with her partner, Gale Hawthorne. She doesn't need any distractions. She certainly doesn't need a distraction in the form of a blue eyed, Paralympic Sled Hockey Player. But, sometimes it's the distractions in life that make all the difference. Written to celebrate the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Gale is late. It's not unusual but it's still annoying. As she's double checking her bag a text comes in.

G: Go ahead without me. I'll meet you there.

Translation: He has company he needs to send home before he can leave for practice.

Katniss and Gale have been skating together since she was twelve. 13 years together spending at least 5 hours a day training, sometimes she thinks she knows him better than she knows herself. When they were kids skating in their small local rink, they had to fight for rink time. Sometimes they'd be forced into a corner to practice as a hockey team took over. Rink time was precious and Gale wouldn't think about being late for practice. Once they started winning and became contenders for the national title suddenly, the hockey team had to work around their schedule.

A few years ago, their coach Mags had to retire due to health reasons. Former National Champs Cresta and ODair courted Katniss and Gale. They packed up their lives and moved to Colorado to train at the National Olympic Center. They never had to fight for rink time again. Still, Gale sometimes took advantage.

As Katniss pulls into the parking lot her ancient Jeep groans to a stop in her assigned spot. The fresh snow crunches under her Sorel snow boots. She should be used to the cold and snow, they had it back home but, there's just so much, so, so much. As she reaches the doors she tries to stop herself from scanning the lobby. For the last month, she's seen the same guy every morning. He has the most beautiful blue eyes Katniss has ever seen and he smiles at her every day. On days when she doesn't see his blonde curly hair right away, she finds herself stalling, stopping for a water at the juice bar even though she has one in her bag already. He's there today, chatting with some other men wearing USA Hockey shirts. Hockey that makes sense, he's built like a hockey player. His eyes meet hers as soon as she removes her hood. There's that smile.

Smile back Katniss, you can do it, smile back. If it's even possible, his smile gets wider. Oh! Wow. Did her heart just flutter? She thinks it did. She doesn't realize she's stopped walking until Finnick bumps into her. "Keep it moving, Everdeen." Blue Eyes gives her a small wave as she moves to the locker room. Katniss nearly trips over her own feet.

After their morning practice, Katniss and Gale hit the gym for some weight training in the afternoon. She's headed back to the locker room when she sees Gale standing at the window that overlooks one of the hockey rinks. "Hey Catnip, come look. These guys are animals." Katniss joins him at the window. On the ice is the US Paralympics Sled Hockey Team. They're amazing, the speed and passion they play with is contagious. Gale is gripping the railing, wincing when the players crash into one another. "Watch, they just get up and keep going." The period ends and Gale moves on but Katniss is frozen in place. One of the players has removed his helmet and Katniss has caught site of a pair of blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Damsel Not in Distress

They Meet.

Two weeks pass, same as the month before. His smiles in the mornings make trudging through the snow so much easier. Katniss has learned that the men's sled team practices at 7 am, so they're usually leaving by the time Katniss and Gale come in. They're back in the afternoon for scrimmage games. Katniss and Gale have made it a habit to stop to watch. She's able to pick him out now because she knows his number. She's too embarrassed to ask anyone his name. It's better this way. She doesn't need the distraction. After finishing fourth at Worlds, she and Gale know they have to not only up their difficulty but they need to be perfect to get on the podium at the Olympics next year. That's always been the goal, Gold.

It was a rough practice today. She landed a little off on one of their throws and by the end of practice Katniss could feel her back tensing up. She stayed late to have a trainer massage out the kink. As she steps out into the cold, she notices her car looks a bit lopsided. "Shit!" she says stamping her foot. The driver's side front tire is flat as a pancake. She takes a minute to kick it before heading to the back to get her spare.

"Need some help?"

"I can do it. It happens all the time." She responds out of reflex. She doesn't like people to help her.

"Oh, I have no doubt. Still, let me help. You get the jack, I'll take care of the tire." Katniss turns to face her persistent helper. Oh, blue eyes and blond hair under a USA beanie.

Let him help Katniss, Let him help, says that little voice in her head again.

"Thanks…"

"Peeta, Peeta Mellark." He says holding out his hand with that smile. He inner voice moans.

"I'm Katniss."

"Oh, I know." And the smile edges down on one side as he gives a slight laugh. Is that a dimple she's never seen before? Oh lordy, now she can't feel her feet.

"How?" She asks.

"You're the national champion, better get used to people knowing your name Katniss Everdeen."

"Oh. Yeah" She says embarrassed. She watches Peeta carry her spare to the front of the car like it's nothing. There's that moan again.

"What?" He says. Oh, crap! That wasn't an inner voice.

"I guess it's time for new tires." She tries to cover.

"Or a new car?"

"Hey, don't talk about him like that." She says patting the hood.

"Him? Aren't cars supposed to be "shes"".

"He's always been a him."

"How long have you had him? No offense but this car has to be older than you."

"I think I was four when my dad bought him new. I remember Dad was so proud. He had never bought a new car before. My mom was pregnant with my little sister and he wanted something safer."

Peeta kneels down to position the jack and slips slightly in the snow.

"Here I got this…" Katniss says kneeling to help him.

"It's OK, I'm used to it. No feeling, in that foot." He says lifting his pant leg to reveal his prosthetic before he starts jacking up her jeep. Katniss doesn't know why she's shocked. "I'm on the sled hockey team. Hoping to make the Paralympics next year."

"You guys are amazing! Gale and I watch after our workout." He's handing her lug nuts to hold.

"Yeah? I'll look for you next time." He's seen them. He knows they watch. The first time he saw her standing there, he ended up getting slammed into the boards by Marvel.

"What number are you?" She asks, knowing perfectly well what his number is.

"12"

"I'll watch for you." She says smiling.

"I'll try not to suck."

"You never do. I mean, none of you do. None of you suck." She tries again to cover her slip. She decides not to say anything else and simply hands him the lug nuts back as he reaches for them.

"Well National Champion Katniss Everdeen, your tire has been changed." He says as he releases the jack.

He carries the flat tire to the back and returns to meet her at the driver's window. "Thanks, um. Can I buy you a cup of coffee, you know, as a Thank you?"

"I have to get to work, I'm already late."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you should have said."

"It'll be OK, I'll just tell them I had to rescue a national treasure." There's that dimple again. "I wouldn't say no to a hot chocolate tomorrow morning though."

"Ok, you got it."

"Listen, will you do me a favor?" Katniss nods. "This old boy has been good to you, be good to him. There's a tire shop just down the street, stop on your way home and get him some new tires."

"Why is that a favor for you?"

"So I don't have to worry about you driving on these bald tires in this snow."

"Oh," She blushes. "Um well thanks again. Hot chocolate tomorrow morning?"

"I'll look for you."

Peeta watches her pull out of her parking space. She almost hits the car behind her because he waves. She pulls away with a huge smile on her face. Maybe a distraction wouldn't be so bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: It's Just a Thank you.

It's just hot chocolate right?

CATNIP: Gotta make a stop on the way in this morning. Meet you there.

Gale reads the message and settles back into bed with the blonde next to him. He's got an extra 10 minutes now. He wonders if she could make it worth his while to wake up.

In her apartment Katniss lets out a sigh of relief. She'd been up half the night trying to figure out how she could get away from him this morning without raising his suspicions. It turns out a simple half-truth was all it took. Not that she owes Gale any explanations. He's free to bring home whoever he wants but she so much as talks to a guy and he's a "distraction". She's called him out on the double standard a hundred times but he still gets his shorts in a bunch whenever she dates someone. Not that she has dated a lot and not that this is a date with Peeta. It's not. It's not even coffee. It's hot chocolate. It's not alcoholic or even a stimulant. It is just a creamy sweet thank you drink. That's all, it's nothing.

If it is nothing, why is she picturing whip cream dabbed just on the edge of that crooked smile he has when he's embarrassed. And why is she fantasizing about removing that whip cream with her tongue. No, not a date. Not a distraction. Oh but what a distraction he could be.

She grabs her keys and heads out to her Jeep, a Jeep with a brand-new set of tires. She did stop at the shop down the street. They were closing up for the day but when the manager recognized her they all stayed to get her set up. She took a few selfies with the staff and she drove home without sliding or skidding once. Guess Peeta was right; people are starting to recognize her.

Inside the arena, Peeta is dressed and out of the locker room in record time. Usually, he and the guys would hang around rehashing their last scrimmage or the last night out at the bar. Peeta is in no mood to chat today, well, at least not with them. Today he only wants to talk to one person. He first laid eyes on Katniss Everdeen two years ago. His then girlfriend, Delly, had insisted he watch the National Championships with her. He'd seen skating before of course but, it was the first time he ever really paid attention. Katniss and Gale took the ice and he was mesmerized. He remembers the commentators talking about their height difference and their similar looks. What impressed Peeta, besides the color of her eyes, was the look of fierce determination in them. She and Gale were flawless to his untrained eyes. But they came in second to another team, Mason and Blight.

A year ago, Peeta was recruited for the National Sled Hockey Team. "There's no future in it, Peeta," his mother said. "It's not like you could turn pro or anything," Delly complained. But Peeta saw it as a chance to do something extraordinary. If all went well he could possibly travel the world. He wanted to inspire others like him to get up and try something new, something physical. He broke up with Delly and left home. He came out to Colorado, got a job in a bakery (hey, it's what he knows) with flexible hours and he has been working his ass off ever since. Then one day, a couple months ago, he saw her. Katniss Everdeen walked in the door fresh from a gold at Nationals. For a while all he could do was stare but he worked his way up to smiling at her and she smiled back. Last night was a stroke of luck. They talked! Hell, if he knew that all it would take was a flat tire, he would have let the air out of them himself. He was in the right place at the right time and she was… awe hell, she was adorable.

Katniss comes bumbling into the ice center with one hand grabbing her large bag, which is slipping off her shoulder and a drink carrier balanced in the other hand. Her parka's hood is down low over her eyes and she's having trouble seeing where she's going. She tosses her head back to rid herself of the obstruction and is met immediately with Peeta's blue eyes and blinding smile.

It's just hot chocolate. It's just a thank you. That's what they both tell themselves. But in that quick instance and with the look they give each other, Peeta knows he's a goner and Katniss knows that this is something.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: You Get Me.

Breakfast Flirting

"Hi. Here let me help." Peeta takes her bag from her shoulder and grabs the drinks. Katniss follows him to a small table off to the side of the lobby. She shrugs off her coat as she goes.

Say something Katniss! You haven't spoken a word yet. Katniss struggles to come up with something clever so she settles for something benign. "I didn't know how you liked your …" She motions toward the drinks. "So, I just got what I like."

"Well, generally I like my hot chocolate hot. Beyond that I'm not picky."

"I meant…oh nevermind!" She says blushing and looking away.

Peeta worries he embarrassed her so he tries to find something to say.

"Did you get your tire taken care of?"

"Yeah, I did. I caught the shop just before it closed. They were just as appalled as you were at the state of my tires. I think the phrase "death trap" was mumbled at one point." He gives that little crooked smile again. Keep talking Katniss. "He's sporting 4 new tires which probably cost more than he's worth."'

"Ah but he's priceless to you!"

"You either get me, or you're teasing."

"I hope it's the first one.' He says and DIMPLE! Katniss can't take it anymore. She's never been a good flirt and she's pretty much tapped out on charm here. She looks down at her hands. Peeta has never in his life had difficulty talking to women but, this is a different story. He can't stop staring at her face, she's so pretty she's literally stolen his breath and words.

Katniss, can't look away for too long although, she can't bring herself to look in his eyes right now. She's finds that she is marveling at how tight the gray T-shirt under his hoodie is. It's stretched across his chest just right and holy crap it's a nice chest. Ugh! Her inner voice grunts. Stop staring Katniss before he notices, say something. "University of…?" She says pointing to his chest.

"Chicago" he finishes for her. I got my masters there."

"In what?

"Physiotherapy."

"What's it like?"

"Physiotherapy?"

"No, um, going to college. I didn't go, for obvious reasons. Always thought I'd like it. My sister just got her undergrad and she's in her first year of medical school. She'll tell me about classes, what grades she got and what she did with her friends but, not what it's like, you know?"

Peeta thinks for a minute. "I guess it means something different for everyone. For me it was freeing. Things were pretty strict at home. College was making my own choices."

She likes that answer. She likes the way he thought it through. He's special. Oh damn it, he's special. Peeta and Katniss' eyes meet again and this time they hold, neither looking away. Peeta is just about to speak when…

"Everdeen, there you are. Annie wanted to run some choreography changes with you before Gale gets here." Finnick interrupts.

"I'll be there in a minute." She calls after Finnick. "Well I better…" she says to a disappointed Peeta. "Thanks again, for yesterday. It was nice of you to help."

"Even though you could totally do it yourself."

"You do get me." She says smiling as she stands, grabbing her bag and coat.

"Katniss wait!" He says much too loudly since she hasn't actually moved. "I have to ask. I mean, I need to know. Not need, I don't need to know but, I want to know. I just…" He lets out an exasperated sigh, giving up all hope of being smooth. He just has to get it out. "You and Gale, are you…together?"

"We're just partners and friends."

"So if I were to ask you to dinner, Gale wouldn't be in the way?"

"Gale wouldn't no… but I…." She sees the disappointment in his eyes. She knows it must be in hers too. She has work to do, a medal to win. She can't be distracted. As if he can read her mind, Peeta seems to understand.

"How about we do this again tomorrow. Tea this time? I'll buy, maybe even bring you something to eat too."

"Ok, tea would be Ok. I'll see you tomorrow?" As she reluctantly backs away from the table, he calls.

"So how do you take your tea?'

"Hot!" she calls back and all but skips to the locker room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Who was that Girl?

Finnick teases and Gale finds out.

Katniss doesn't recognize herself, as she skips (OMG she's skipping!) off to practice. Who was that girl talking to Peeta? She doesn't know what came over her. She talked, she flirted, she smiled and she looked him in the eye instead of looking away. Oh, his eyes, oh his chest. It seems like just a few days ago that she had to force herself to smile back when they passed each other. She talked to him like she knew him forever. This is dangerous.

As she and Gale hit their final pose in a run through of their new short program choreography, Finnick and Annie skate onto the ice. "I don't know Annie. What do you think has gotten into our scowly Katniss today? She's positively smiley."

"I don't know Finnick, could it be the choreography?" Annie says playing along with her husband's teasing.

"No, I think it has to do with the blonde hockey player we saw her having coffee with this morning."

"It wasn't coffee." Katniss' defense is weak.

"He was pretty cute." Annie says.

"What are they talking about, Katniss?" Gale asks with an arm still around her waist. Katniss doesn't fail to notice that his grip tightens a bit and that he called her Katniss. That's never a good sign.

"It's nothing Gale." She says while glaring daggers at Finnick. "He changed my tire last night, I brought in hot chocolate as a thank you. We talked"

"Is that all it is?"

"No, he's a nice guy, he trains here too. I like talking to him. I'm allowed to have a friend, Gale. We're having breakfast again tomorrow."

"Just a friend? Keep it that way, Katniss. We have 10 months. We've worked our whole lives for this."

"No one knows that better than I do, Gale. I'm not stupid."

And just like that, her good mood is gone.

That afternoon Gale tries to make it up to her. He doesn't apologize but he tries to make her smile as they do the run through of their short program in front of mirrors. He can be charming when he wants to be. It almost works, almost. It's not until she catches sight of Peeta on the ice that she really smiles. He's chasing down the puck, swiftly moving between the defenders. He's completely unaware she's watching and even still, he makes her smile.

"He'll understand," she says to herself. "He has to."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Breakfast Pact

Conversations over cheese buns

The conversation Katniss has been dreading went better than expected.

"I just can't have anything more right now. Gale and I have so much work to do before next year. If it were any other year…"

"Katniss, I understand. It's going to be busy for me too. We both will be be coming and going all year. I get it. We can be friends though right?"

Katniss looks doubtful as a scowl crosses her face.

"Look when we're in town we'll make this a thing. Breakfast, you and I, friends.

"Just breakfast, just friends for the next year?"

"10 months. I'm a patient man Katniss. I WILL take you on a date one day, and it will be the best date of your life. But, it will be when we're both free to see where it can go. I can wait."

"I'm not sure I can." Katniss says looking at him. The smile that breaks out on his face when she says it makes her want to break the breakfast pact before it's even started.

 **Spring…**

On most mornings, Katniss and Peeta can be found sitting facing each other in what has become known as "their" table. Most mornings their heads lean in to each other as they speak quietly. Today however, they are having a more animated conversation. Every so often one of them will throw their head back in laughter as the other smiles on.

"Finnick calls me what?" Peeta asks.

"My breakfast buddy and he says it in this sing-songy voice." Katniss imitates the teasing tone and Peeta laughs. "Every time he does it Annie giggles. I think she has a crush on you. She's always saying how cute you are."

"What does Gale do when this is going on?"

"Grunts." They both laugh. While Gale has quit with the "distraction" talk, he hasn't exactly made friends with Peeta. Finnick and Annie occasionally join them for breakfast but try not to intrude. The coaches have noticed that on the days Katniss sees Peeta, she's much more relaxed in practice.

"What do your teammates say about us?"

"Oh they have plenty to say, none of which I care to repeat. You see them as they leave the center. They always do something."

"The kissy noises?"

"That's only part of it. Yesterday, I opened my locker to find a very angry picture of Gale with "Back off Breadboy" written on it."

"Do you need me to beat them up?" She smiles, reminding Peeta that some days it's hard not to reach across the table and kiss her. But he respects the "Breakfast Pact."

 **Summer…**

Welcome back! Peeta greets her at the door. He holds a bakery bag shaking it.

"Is that?" she says pointing to the bag. "Cheesebuns? For me?" You did miss me!"

"Always." Peeta hands the bag over. Watching her bite into the cheesebun is as enjoyable to him as it is to her. The way she moans!

"How was New York? Did you get any practice in?"

"Oh yeah, Finnick made sure it wasn't all photo-shoots and fittings. I like our new designer." She says taking another bite. "So what's been happening around here? What's the gossip?"

"You and Gale actually." Katniss raises her eyebrow questioning him. God he loves that. "Talk is, you are working on something huge."

Nodding as she finishes chewing. "Remember when I told you that if we want the podium on a world stage we're going to need to up our difficulty. We're working on something no one in pairs has ever done."

"You're not going to be in any danger are you?"

"No more than usual." she shakes her head. "We're working on side by side triple axels."

"And that will be enough?"

"You have no idea what it is, do you?"

"Not a clue."

"A triple axel is one of the most difficult jumps out there. Only a handful of women have ever completed one in competition. And all of them were singles skaters and none of them American."

"And you can do it?" She shrugs.

"Pretty much but I'm not solid yet. Gale has it but we have to be 100% to even think about doing it in competition."

"You're amazing."

"Pretty much."

 **Fall…**

"My dad is in love with you, you know?"

"Maybe I'm in love with your dad. I'm glad I got to meet him. How was your visit?"

"Strange, good strange though. " Katniss' eyebrow rises again. "I can't remember spending even close to that much time with my dad without my mother being there. She can be – no, she is overbearing and my dad sort of disappears when she's around. But I got to see a new side of him this weekend. We went out and had a beer together."

"And that's a big deal? I thought fathers and sons did that."

"Not with my mother around."

"So… when do you know if you go to Korea?"

"Soon. Not a good time to go on a scoring slump. I haven't scored in the last three games."

"You're playing well though. Even I could tell that at the last game. You had a lot of those help shots."

"Help shots?" He tries not to laugh at her. "You mean assists?"

"Don't laugh at me. Quick what's the difference between a lutz and a loop?"

"Ok you got me."

"Don't worry, your next game is against Canada right?" Peeta nods. "I predict you'll get a hat trick."

"Hey! You used the right term!"

"I'm learning.

 **2 week before Nationals…**

" You have the morning off tomorrow right?"

"Yeeees." She says suspiciously.

"How about we take our breakfast someplace else?"

"What are you saying Mellark?"

"I'm saying, I have the day off after morning practice, you have the morning off. I have someplace I want to show you. We'll have a picnic breakfast."

"Did you forget it's winter, in Colorado? Who picnics in winter?"

"Let me worry about it, just say you'll allow a small change to our routine."

She pretends to think about it then says, "I'll allow it."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Breakfast with a View

"Where are we going?" Katniss asks. She's driving her Jeep with Peeta in the passenger seat.

"There will be a left up ahead, take it." The weather is on their side today. It's sunny and warm for an early December day. There's only a slight dusting of snow. "Pull into that trail head. We go the rest of the way on foot." He sees the scowl on Katniss' face.

"Don't worry it's an easy, short hike. I won't let the defending National Champion trip."

"Finnick will kill you and Gale will kill you again, if I do."

"Maybe I should carry you then. Gale does it. I'm stronger than him." Peeta bends to pick her up.

"Stop! It's OK. I'll walk. Just don't tell anyone."

He was right; the walk was easy, just up a small hill then a short walk along a ridge. There's a small shelter with a picnic table and a fire pit. Peeta sets to work making a fire while Katniss marvels at the view. The ridge overlooks a valley with gently rolling hills that go down to a small stream. The morning sun is behind them bathing the valley in a golden light with the larger mountains rising up in the distance.

"It's beautiful Peeta. How did you find it?"

"I thought you'd like it. I found it last year when I first came to Colorado. I was looking for places to paint. I painted it in spring. It was filled with wild flowers and dandelions." He stands next to her, handing her a mug. "Hot chocolate." She smiles at him and he sighs. Her eyes are sparkling in this light.

"I have news." He says looking down at his feet.

"Korea? You're going?" Peeta nods before looking up.

"Peeta, that's amazing! Congratulations." Without thinking Katniss goes to hug him but the mugs of chocolate get in the way forcing an awkward stutter that becomes an odd wrong hand, handshake. Whew, that was close Katniss thinks. Hugging him here, alone overlooking this beautiful vista would be dangerous, the hugging would have turned into something more. And we can't have more. Not when they're so close to the finish.

"I can't believe I'm going to get to represent my country in a sport. When I lost my leg, I never imagined I could do anything like this."

"You never told me how you got involved in sled hockey. Did you play hockey before?"

"No, I was a wrestler, my brothers too. They were good. Both wrestled in college."

"When I went to college in Chicago I discovered, GLASA."

"What's that?"

"Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association, it's this amazing organization dedicated to finding a way to get everyone into a sport, kids, adults, Vets. Through them, I found sled hockey. I took to it right away. I had the upper body strength needed."

"Mmm" Katniss says while sipping her drink, thinking of his chest - a chest she so much wants to be pressed against, and the arms she wants wrapped around her.

"Of course not everyone is going to go to the Paralympics, but just participating they have improved health, socialization. Kids especially can suffer with socialization issues when they have something that sets them apart. I had it easy, not everyone noticed my leg right away."

"I didn't." Peeta gives her a questioning look. "What? I didn't notice, not until I saw you on the ice."

"Katniss, were you checking me out before I changed your tire? Because as I recall, I showed you my leg right away."

"Maybe. Maybe that's the only reason I let you change my tire. Go on, what were you saying.' She's blushing and she hopes the crisp air will disguise it.

"The kids in wheelchairs or on crutches, you just see the confidence grow. And the Vets, like some of the guys on my team, they're heroes." He says shaking his head "I lost my leg at 14, I've had 12 years to adjust. A lot of them have only been disabled for a year or two and some are dealing with PTSD. That's real bravery, fighting back against so much. That's why the Paralympics are so important.

Katniss slips her hand into his. He closes his own tightly around it. He lifts them up together to show her. "Is this OK?"

"Friends hold hands right?"

"Right." Friends do hold hands but, do friends hold hands for two hours as the fire fades? Do friends trace circles on the back of each other's hands fighting the urge to bring them to their lips?

"We should go, you have practice." Katniss nods and they walk back down the hill still holding tight. When they get to her car, she gives Peeta the keys.

"Really?" He asks, honored she would trust him with her car. Katniss nods.

On the drive back to the Center, their hands find each other over the center console. Peeta pulls into her parking space and jumps out of the car to open her door. Their hands touch again as he passes her the keys and she can't help but hold on. Peeta leans in, gently pressing her back into the car. His hand finds a place on her waist. Katniss feels a warmth and thrill that is overwhelming. She looks up and just as he begins to lower his head…

"Catnip, let's go, we're late." Gale approaches, having pulled in the parking lot. "Peeta."

"Gale." Peeta nods.

"Let me know what your dad says about Korea." He smiles wide. "I will." He calls as he watches walk with Gale into the Center.

A/N: GLASA is a real organization that does amazing work. Check them out


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Nationals

Sometimes a win is not a win.

"Gale, what's been your problem lately?' Katniss and Gale are seated together in first class heading to Chicago for the National Championships. Finnick and Annie are seated behind them. " You've been an ass the last two weeks. Is it Peeta?"

"What gave you that idea, maybe that you're late to practice because you are cuddling with your boyfriend every morning?"

It's true; Katniss and Peeta no longer sit across from one another at their table. She now sits along side. It's easier to hide their clasped hands under the table that way. She wouldn't call it cuddling though. She sits with Peeta until Gale gets there. She craves those extra few minutes next to him.

"I'm on the ice the same time as you every morning and Peeta and I are just friends."

"Friends don't make out in the parking lot before practice."

"We've never even kissed. I keep telling you…"

He cuts her off "Yeah well, you're wrapped up in him and I see things turning out the same as before. I'm telling you Catnip, I won't go through it again."

"He's not Darius! It's not the same. Not at all."

"It better not be."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Finnick pokes his head between their seats. "You two are getting loud. Put a pin in it until we get to the hotel then both of you are going to tell me what's going on."

Katniss and Gale glare at one another. They both slip on headphones and ignore each other's presence for the rest of the flight. They continue to give each other the cold shoulder as they leave the airport. Finnick and Annie exchange concerned looks.

Once they're in their shared suite at the hotel. Katniss and Gale sit far apart and Finnick sits between them. "Ok, I'll start. Who's Darius?"

Katniss doesn't answer right away so Gale takes the lead. "Darius was Katniss' dirtbag boyfriend." Katniss just hangs her head, letting Gale tell the story of when she was at her weakest. "He was a cop, older and seemed like a nice guy at first. She was only 19. He fucking took advantage and took over everything. He'd come to practices, travel with us. He quit his job and claimed he was her manager. He wouldn't let her out of his sight. When he started trying to convince Katniss to change back to singles skating, that's when Haymitch stepped in and sent him packing."

"Katniss is this true?" Finnick asks her.

She nods her head before answering. "Darius was my first everything. I didn't know how to handle it. I'd been on my own for so long, at first it was nice having someone take care of me. But it got out of hand. I didn't want to skate singles but Gale was always pissed at me and wasn't any help. I was glad Haymitch stepped in. I didn't know how to get out of it. Darius was beginning to scare me."

"Shit Catnip, I didn't know that."

"Yeah well, we weren't talking. Kinda like now. Gale, Peeta is nothing like Darius."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've gotten to know him over this year and if you did more than grunt in his presence, you'd know too. It's not the same. I'm not the same as I was then."

"Yeah, well that remains to be seen."

The conversation is cut short by the arrival of their families. While Gale is busy with his mother and siblings and Katniss is reunited with Prim, Finnick takes Haymitch aside. "They've been at each other's throats for two weeks. Tell me about Darius."

"Is that bastard back? I told him if he ever came sniffing around her again, I'd cut his nuts off."

"Where is Loverboy tonight? " Gales asks as he lifts her over his head. They are doing a run through backstage before their short program.

"He has a game tonight. He'll be here tomorrow though." Gale performs the change of positions and turning, sets her down. "Look Gale, you're just going to have to trust me. It's not going to happen again. Peeta wouldn't," She's so frustrated, she can't finish the sentence

"I want to trust your judgment, Catnip. I do."

Later they take the ice for their short program. The program, done to "Falling Slowly" from the movie Once, has been described as pure romance on ice. The music fades in parts to silence as the only sound heard in the arena is their skates stroking the ice and then explodes with emotion in other parts. The routine is perfectly choreographed and Gale and Katniss play the parts well. The first time they performed it, the twitterverse blew up with proof that "Everthorne" was real. While this night they are technically perfect, the connection is completely gone. It's described as "mechanical". But still, it's enough to put them in the lead going into the free skate the next day.

Finnick's parting words that night sting. "Whatever it is, get over it! Both of you. You've got everything on the line tomorrow. There's no Olympics if you cock it up."

Katniss and Gale have a ritual between their short and long programs. They only talk to their coaches and each other. After Finnick's dressing down, they return to their suite and get comfortable. They meet in the shared lounge and prepare for the next part of their ritual, movie night. Gale starts the movie as popcorn arrives from room service. Katniss returns to the couch and "The Princess Bride" begins to play. In "Gale Speak" this is his way of trying. He's not a fan of this movie but he knows it's one of Katniss' favorites. The tension between them eases a bit. When the movie is over they return to their rooms. Katniss finds a message from Peeta.

Peeta: Know we can't talk tonight. Just wanted to let you know, I made it to Chicago. Good Luck tomorrow, I'll see you after.

Katniss smiles and easily falls asleep. The next morning they sleep in and then are joined for lunch by Finnick and Annie. Finnick is pleased that the tension has lifted.

When Katniss and Gale step out onto the ice for their warm up, they can hear the buzz of the crowd. The crowd knows they may see history tonight. Gale gives Katniss a nod and they take off into the approach for the side-by-side triple axels. There is a burst of applause when they land it. They continue to run through their program. Before they leave the ice they throw the triple once more. Again, the crowd roars.

They will skate last. Standing outside the rink waiting for the scores of the team before them, Katniss looks into the stands where Prim and Haymitch were seated last night. This is Katniss' private ritual. Seeing Prim gives her a reminder to do her best. Today she is nervous, more so than usual. When she looks for Prim, she finds another set of blue eyes instead. Peeta is watching her intently. Suddenly, the nerves fall away, he nods.

"He's sitting with the families?"

"What?"

"Your Loverboy, he's sitting with our family?"

"Yeah, Prim met him when she came for my birthday. She likes him." Katniss looks up at Gale who is looking ahead at the ice. His jaw is clenched and she can see the muscles twitching. She knows that he is fighting not to say anything else.

They are announced and skate to their opening positions. Skating to a medley of Adele, the triple axels are the first jump. As Adele's voice soars to "Don't you Remember?" Katniss and Gale take off in perfect unison. They complete the three and a half rotations but Katniss lands a bit forward and she catches an edge, her hand comes down and grazes the ice but she remains upright. She has to rush to catch up with Gale to get their timing back. The next trick is a throw quad. Katniss stumbles a bit on the landing. Finally, they recover and complete the routine without any disasters. As they hit their final pose, there is nothing but an acknowledging nod to each other. They say nothing. As they sit to receive their scores, there is a space between them. Even with the ice touch, their scores are enough to give them their second National title but you'd never know it by the looks on their faces. They smile as they receive their medals but there is no interaction between them.

Leaving the dressing room, Katniss sees Prim. She hugs her sister with a sigh. Peeta stands behind Prim, smiling wide, waiting to congratulate her on the win. She puts her hand up stopping him. "I can't, I just, I'm sorry Peeta, I can't."

Peeta is stunned and confused, he takes a step to follow her but is stopped by Prim. "Leave her."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Epiphany

Katniss figures it out.

Prim's advice has been running through Peeta's mind since he left Chicago.

"I know you're important to Katniss. Anyone can see it. But right now she needs to fix things with Gale. You need to back off and give her time."

"I don't understand Prim. They won. Is this because she nearly fell?"

"No, it's because of the disconnect with Gale. You're new to this, you didn't see what I did. The stumble on the throw, that wasn't her fault. That was Gale. He threw her wrong. Katniss could usually adjust but she wasn't expecting it. They're off and they have been a lot. Finnick told Haymitch. I think Katniss just needs to make things right between them. If they don't get it together, they'll regret it. With the triple axel, if they're on, they are gold medalists. They've worked their whole lives for this. Yes, Gale can be an ass, but she needs him right now."

Staying away from her is the hardest thing he's ever done. He's back at practice the next day and he feels lost. She didn't call or text him yesterday. He hoped she'd be there for their breakfast today but she didn't show. He throws his pads into his locker and he leaves. As if on autopilot, he walks by Katniss and Gale's practice ice. He can hear music playing and he hesitates to approach the window. But he's weak, he needs to see if she's ok. He steps up to the glass. Katniss is there alone. He watches her throw jump after jump until she's near exhaustion. His heart breaks for her. She's putting all the responsibility on herself. He watches as she's bent over at the waist catching her breath. She stands and looks right at him with her hands on her waist, he can't read her expression.

She can't believe she missed that jump. She's had it down for weeks. She hit it twice before they performed. She can't understand what went wrong. When they returned to the suite last night, Finnick read them the riot act. " What happened Katniss? You had it. The minute you stepped on the ice, I could tell you're mind was somewhere else. " He then turned his assault on Gale. "And you, you ever do that again, you'll find yourself without a coach."

"What are you talking about?" Gale protests.

"You were pissed and you were sloppy in that throw. I'm not saying you did it on purpose but you have to keep your temper under control or your partner could get hurt." Gale's face falls in shock as he realizes Finnick is right.

"Both of you. I don't want to see you until you work this out. Sit down, talk, scream, beat the shit out of each other, hell I don't care if you fuck, just make sure the bruises are healed by the time we get to Korea. Get whatever this is out of your system and get back to skating."

She came to the rink today to do just that. It's what she does best, skate. Maybe she can skate Peeta out of her mind then things will be OK with Gale. She knows she has to concentrate on skating and the Olympics. :: triple axel:: There's no room for Peeta right now. ::triple toe, double toe combination:: But the thought of not seeing him, not speaking to him is tearing her apart. ::sit spin:: The feelings he stirs in her she can't live without. ::double axel:: How can get her blood racing and calm her at the same time? ::triple lutz:: Cutting him out of her life is like cutting off a part of herself. She can't go on like this. ::triple axel:: Exhausted she bends at the waist to catch her breath. Something pulls her to look up and he's there, watching. At first she's mad, Prim told him to back off but, the look on his face shows he's feeling everything she is. Even from this distance, the peace he brings, settles over her. It's all OK. It's OK.

They stand frozen in place. She watches as Peeta tentatively waves to her. And then it hits her, she understands. It's so simple. She raises her arms, "Stay." She tries to convey. She holds up a finger to tell him, "one minute, wait." Then she skates off the ice and disappears into the locker room.

On the other side of the glass, Peeta is confused, what was she trying to say, was she telling him to go away or stay there. He pauses not sure what to do. He walks slowly away from the window and starts to move to the door when she doesn't come back on the ice.

"Peeta! Wait!" he hears from behind him. She's still dressed in her practice clothes with her boots loose on her feet and her parka open. "Come with me." She says and grabs his hand, pulling him through the doors, out into the cold. Peeta doesn't say a word, just follows. He'd follow her anywhere. She brings him around the corner of the building, behind an evergreen. He has no idea why she's brought him here.

She finds a big rock to stand on, making her equal in height to him then, pushes him against the wall. She wastes no more time as she claims his mouth with hers. Her fingers weave through his hair, still damp from his shower. She claims that beautiful smile as her own, she kisses the corner of his mouth that he drops when he gives her that crooked smile. She claims his bottom lip as her territory. He is hers.

Peeta is stunned at first, then meets her passion. He can't believe he's holding her for the first time. She is pressed against him and it feels so right. Prim's words echo in his head again. He tries to stop her. "Wait, Katniss, please wait. We're so close, we don't have to do this now. I don't want to be the reason, you don't reach your goal. I can't stand in your way. " SHUT UP PEETA! He's screaming in his head.

"I finally figured it out." She says, pounding her fists into his chest. "You are not the distraction. You never were. Staying away from you, that's the distraction. Pretending we're just friends when we both know that's a lie. When I'm not on the ice, you're all I think about. How it would feel to kiss you, how it would feel to be in your arms, to feel your skin on mine, to feel you moving with me. That's the distraction. You're what's missing in my life. I need you. I need you, Peeta."

Peeta doesn't argue, instead he pulls her to him again, kissing her hard. His hands slide under her coat to wrap around her the back of her thighs, lifting her and turning to press her against the wall. "This is worth everything" He thinks.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Worth The Wait

Everything they've been waiting for…

A knock on the door echoes through her apartment. He's here. What happens now?

They made out against the side of the Ice Center until the cold took its toll. She wanted to drag him home with her right then but Peeta was more practical. He had to be at the bakery. It was his last night before he stops working to concentrate on training. They were expecting him. It was torture to tear away but maybe they needed time to think.

"Can I come to your place after?" he asked between kisses.  
She nodded her answer.

The knock sounds again. She opens the door. It must be snowing outside, there are flakes melting in his curls. "Hi." is all he gets out before she is in his arms pressing into him and kissing him again and again. He's not even in the door completely before she tugs his coat off his shoulders and lets it fall to the floor. Peeta tries to close the door, eager to close the rest of the world out but, finds his coat in the way. He kicks it clear. When the door finally clicks closed he falls back against it with Katniss peppering his neck with kisses and he moans softly.

"Tell me this is real."

"It's real, Peeta. I want you." She jumps up to wrap her legs around him and he catches her. She wants every part of her body against him and with the height difference this is the only way. Peeta steps away from the door, carrying her. He intends to bring her back to her bedroom but she starts to grind against him and the couch will have to do. He lowers her to the cushions and his feet still wet from the snow, slip. He crashes on top of her but she doesn't care. She's already struggling to remove his sweater. Her hands spread across the warm skin of his chest, she can feel the muscles moving beneath her fingers and it's not enough. It'll never be enough, she pulls him against her again. Her shirt has slipped up and it's only a matter of him pulling it over her head to rid themselves of it and to be skin to skin for the first time. "Oh no!" Katniss startles and they both freeze in place.  
"What, What's wrong?" Peeta tries to sit up to face her but she holds him in place.

"Please tell me you have a condom?" she mutters into the back of his neck as she clings to him. Peeta reaches up to remove the arms clutching his shoulders. He peels her off him, stands and walks to the door to rummage through the pockets of his long forgotten parka. As he returns to her he holds up the foil wrapped packets.

"They're even gold!" He says tossing them to her. The sight of her laughing as she lay half dressed, half on half off the gray couch is a sight he'll never forget. He toes off his boots and stands entranced at the sight.

Enjoying the view in front of her as well, words as they often do, fail Katniss. It's that little voice in her head that finally speaks up. "OFF!" it says and Katniss points to his jeans.

There's a small hesitation that Katniss doesn't understand at first. His eyes find hers in askance, are you sure? Her eyes never waiver and Peeta begins to undo the button of his jeans. He drops them to the floor as Katniss' eyes lower. Still in a pair of boxer briefs, snug to his body. She sighs as she sees the outline of him through the fabric. She knows that unlike other men this isn't the approval he's seeking so, she lowers her eyes even more. The prosthetic he his wearing begins just below his natural knee, with the stabilizing brace rising above it. It's metallic with only the foot modeled to look real. She doesn't look away, she studies it then turns her eyes upward again. Involuntarily she licks her lips as she scans his body and that's all the approval he needs. She lifts her arms to beckon him back to her and he kneels, one knee on the couch between her legs before lowering himself to her again.

He spreads his hands wide across her chest, moving gently up until his thumbs tease her nipples through the lace bralette she's wearing. His fingers follow the fabric to her back as he searches, but fails, to find a clasp. Moving one hand to the front, again he finds no clasp. Katniss giggles and sits up to help. "Just pull it off." She says and in a quick second has it slipped over her head and flung across the room. The look of wonder on his face as he sees her the first time makes Katniss' heart burst. He lowers his head and brings his mouth to cover one mound. Katniss responds with a moan as she falls back onto the couch. She wiggles against his groin in circles matching the movement of his tongue. "Now Peeta, please." Standing, he sheds his briefs and watches as she removes the rest of her clothes

It isn't the romantic, magical moment they both had fantasized about for their first time. There will be time for romance and discovery later. Instead it's physical, demanding and hungry, the desperate coupling of two people denied what they both needed for too long. His thrusts set a relentless pace with a possessive hold on her hips. He is lost in the delicious feel of her. Katniss braces herself, pushing against the arms of her sofa, matching his thrusts with a roll of her hips. He's overcome with his need for her and brings a hand between them to take her along with him. His words in her ear, "Come for me, Katniss." do their intended job and she bucks against him, as he releases.

Physically spent, he falls on top of her. Her breathing is heavy beneath his chest. His own is panted into her neck. They lay still, recovering and listening to the other breathing. "We're athletes, we shouldn't be this winded." He says breaking the quiet. They laugh together.

"Stay tonight." She says.

"Always," he answers.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Discussion

An important discussion with Gale.

An obnoxious phone alarm is going off as Katniss burrows deeper into the covers. Peeta comes running back into the bedroom searching for it to stop the intrusion.

"Sorry, forgot that was set." He says sitting alongside her.

"mmm, you're dressed." She says pouting.

"Only my jeans. Do you prefer me naked in your kitchen?"

"I prefer you naked in my bed. What are you doing up and why so early?"

"Sorry, still on bakery time. I woke up early and watched you sleep for a creepy amount of time then, I thought I would make you breakfast but, you have absolutely no food in your apartment."

"Yeah, was going to go to the store when I got back."

"Well I made tea. HOT tea." He gives her the crooked smile she loves so much. Good morning Dimple!

"Come back to bed." She says sitting up to kiss his neck. He has showered already. She can smell her own soap.

"I can't, I have practice."

"Stay with me just a little longer." She says as she slides back against the headboard, the sheets pooling at her waist. Peeta spent most of the night memorizing the taste of every inch of her body but still the sight of her, like this, is hypnotizing.

"You realize you're a distraction?" He says, stretching out beside her and reaching his face up to kiss her.

"Oh no! I don't want to be a distraction, you better go." She kisses him back and giggles when he pulls her down to the pillow next to him.

"I have a few minutes before I have to leave."

"Whatever will we do?"  
-

After Peeta leaves for practice, Katniss lays in bed staring at the ceiling. Last night was heaven, but she has to face her problems today. She gets up, showers, dresses and sends a text to Gale.

Catnip: Can I come over to talk?  
Gale: Now's good.

Katniss slips on a pair of slippers and crosses the hallway to Gale's apartment. He opens the door without her needing to knock. He looks terrible. He crushes her in a hug.

"I'm so sorry Katniss. I'm so sorry." He kisses the top of her head. "I'd never want to hurt you. Finnick was right, I was mad, I threw you too hard. I didn't realize I was doing it. I'm so sorry Katniss. It'll never happen again.."

Katniss is shocked by his reaction. "Gale, are you drunk? You're never emotional like this unless you're drunk."

"No, I'm sober haven't had a drink since the plane ride home. I watched the video, over and over and he's right."

"What was it Gale? Why did you get so pissed at me, everything was better then suddenly you're grinding your teeth and not looking at me."

"Fuck, I don't know Katniss. It was everything, it was Darius, it was Peeta, being there with Haymitch and Prim and MY family. I just got jealous."

"Jealous of what?"

"When we were kids I used to think that it would be us."

"Us, what?"

"Us. I thought we'd win the Olympics, we'd fall in love and get married and skate together forever with our 6 kids."

"Do you know us? We haven't fallen in love in 14 years, we're not going to now. A medal is not going to suddenly make us fall in love."

"I know, I know. I just thought that without the pressure we'd find our way to fall in love. And there he is, chatting it up with Haymitch."

"Gale…"

"No, I know. It was stupid." He says. "No matter what I shouldn't have brought it on the ice and I sure as hell shouldn't have thrown you the way I did. The thought that I could have hurt you… Catnip, I don't know how that happened."

"Gale, me missing that triple axel, wasn't your fault. Me, stumbling wasn't your fault either. I was distracted because I knew you were mad and I didn't know why. Then the axel, and I thought, 'Great now he's madder.' It may surprise you to know that you don't throw me exactly the same way every time. Sometimes it's harder than others and I adjust so I can land it. I didn't that time, I was in my head. That's why I stumbled."

"But I could of…" He's pacing now.

"Gale, it's OK. You won't do it again." She moves to hug him and the relief he feels comes out with a sigh. "We have to talk about Peeta though." He nods. "Gale, he's important to me. I tried all year to keep it 'just friends' but I knew it was more from the very beginning. I knew you'd think it was the whole Darius thing again and I did everything I could to stay away from him so he wouldn't be a distraction. The bastard snuck up on me though."

"He's a good guy." He says unexpectedly.

"Wait, what?" She pauses to be sure he said what she thinks he said. "He is a good guy. But, what makes you say that now?"

"I talked to some of his teammates. Every single one said he was a good guy, a hard worker and that he's totally out of his head for you."

Her eyebrow raises in suspicion.

"Don't give me that look. I asked around, yeah. Hey, Haymitch is the one that did a background check."

"What? That old…"

"Can you blame us, after the other one? We want to be sure he's on the up and up."

"Gale, Peeta is NOT Darius."

"I know that now. We know he's not after your money, Dude is loaded! Did you know?"

She glares at him. "I knew there was settlement money from his leg but…"

"No, we're talking OLD money, like off the Mayflower kinda money. Not the point. Point is, I was wrong about him. I mean he hung around for what, 10 months and you hadn't even kissed? That's some dedication and blue balls right there."

"Not blue anymore." She mumbles under her breath.

"What? Never mind. Don't want to know." Covering his ears.

A comfortable silence falls between them. Katniss starts to laugh.

"I can't believe you thought we'd fall in love…"

"Hey, I'm a catch. I'm a good looking, I'm in my physical prime and I'm a straight figure skater. I thought you'd realize what a gift I'd be." He teases. "You never thought of us together? Not once?" He gets up and stands in front of her. "Don't you think we owe it to ourselves to see what it would be like?" He steps forward and Katniss tries to move back but he reaches out to her. "Just so we know. I mean, maybe I should kiss you, just once." He cups her face in both his hands so she can't move away and slowly lowers his head. Katniss is frozen in place. She's trying to figure out how to get out of this without starting another fight. He closes the gap between them and puckers his lips giving her a chaste, peck of a kiss.

"So how was it?" She asks with a smile.

"eeeeh." He says wrinkling his nose. They both laugh.

"Do yourself a favor Gale. Call a certain World Champion Ice Skater, tell her it's time for more than flings at competitions…"

"You knew about that?"

"Gale, everyone knows about you and Madge Undersee." She says and he's stunned.

"I still don't like her but if you do, I can try to forgive her for making fun of our costumes when we were in juniors."

"Is that why you've hated her all this time? She only did it so she could apologize to me with a kiss later." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"Ha! I'll call Finnick and set up a practice this afternoon. YOU call Madge. Who knows maybe she'll want the 6 ice skating kids." She starts to leave but turns back "Oh and after practice you're coming over, Peeta is going to make dinner. You need to get to know him."

"I don't want to be in the way. How is Loverboy going to feel about having a third wheel now that he's finally gotten into your pants?"

"It was his idea. He is a nice guy, Gale."

"We'll see." He watches her disappear into the hallway.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Going for Gold

Olympics

"Welcome Back!" The garish color commentator Caesar Flickerman exclaims. "Well, skating fans you are in for a treat tonight! A few short nights ago we witnessed the last competitive skate of America's favorite Ice Princess, Madge Undersee. And what a performance it was, right Claudius?"

"Indeed, it was Caesar. She gave a stunning performance and walked away with her second Olympic Gold Medal."

"Tonight is the Gold Medal Night for the pairs and America's team of Everdeen and Hawthorne are poised to make history. This pair was gorgeous last night in the short program." Caesar says.

"I was a bit worried about them after Nationals. While they were technically flawless in the short program, they seamed to have lost their, for lack of a better word, sizzle."

"Not so last night!" Caesar proclaims. They smoldered their way through the performance. I blushed!" Claudius giggles in reply.

Video of Katniss and Gale's short program plays on a wall-sized television in the airport. Peeta moving quickly through the concourse, stops in his tracks when he sees his girlfriend's face. Katniss is stunning. Her hair is braided into a crown around her head. She's dressed all in forest green. The entire front of her dress is encrusted in rhinestones in the identical color. Gale too is in Green from head to toe. Together, they really are a beautiful sight. Peeta can't help but smile when he sees the look the pair gives each other. He knows they will do well. Peeta is in a hurry, he has a car waiting to take him to the arena but he didn't see this performance yet. He was on a plane somewhere over the Pacific when they competed. His driver can wait, he wants to see this.

Katniss and Gale move across the ice as one. The way they gaze at each other, if you didn't know them, you would think they were madly in love. Peeta watches the performance, twitches and jerks willing Katniss to land every throw and jump perfectly. As they hit their final lift and Katniss slides down Gale's body to end the program the commentators return to the screen. Claudius is fanning himself and Caesar steeples his hands under his chin with tears in his eyes. "Gets me every time. Everthorne is back and is S-E-X-Y! That Gale is really a striking man."

Peeta shakes his head at their ridiculousness, and rushes to his waiting car. As he slips in he checks his phone. He knows there won't be anything from Katniss. She had been sequestered away with Gale for their ritual night.

===========================  
The night before.

"Hurry up Catnip, movie is on."

"What are we watching?"

"Mystery, Alaska." Katniss just shakes her head.

"You and your hockey movies. You do realize you never played hockey."

"First of all, Miracle and Mighty Ducks are classics. Second, I thought with your new interest in hockey players you'd appreciate it," Katniss removes one of her socks and flings it across the room, hitting him in the head.

"You OK with Loverboy not being here?"

"I'd like him here but he has his own games in two weeks. I understand."

"How are things with Madge?" She asks.

"Rocky. I was a real ass to her at Nationals."

"Did you throw her too hard too?" she teases.

"No." He throws her sock back at her. "She's retiring, you know? She told me that she's ready for a real relationship but, if I can't commit to her, she doesn't want to see me any more. AT ALL."

"Ultimatum, yikes."

"Yup."

"What are you going to do?"

"I think I want to try."

"Awe, Gale's been tamed."

"Yeah, yeah, says the girl who's pretty much living with her boyfriend. Who bakes for her and cooks dinner every night."

"Yup, he's pretty awesome. He's moving in after his games." She says with a shy smile.

"So, I should expect to hear more pounding. I'll keep that in mind"

"What are you talking about" She starts to blush.

"The other night, I came home and I hear this pounding on the inside of your apartment door. I was almost ready to knock the door down when I heard. 'Oh Peeta, Fuck me Peeta.'" He says in a teasing high voice.

"You did not!" She says and throws the sock again.

"Did too. Were you having sex up against the door?"

"Probably. For a guy with one leg, he likes to do it standing up a lot."

Gale is waving his hands in the air. "Enough, enough."

"Don't tease me, if you can't take it. I don't have girlfriends to talk about this sort of thing. You're my only girlfriend, Gale."

"Is Catnip in love?" Katniss doesn't answer. "Are you?" The sock flies back to Katniss.

"Stop! I can't tell you before I tell him." Her eyes widen in realization.

"Watch the movie, Catnip."

Katniss and Gale are gliding across the ice in their warm up. Katniss is visibly nervous. She misses her first attempt at the triple axel terribly, going down on the ice.

Up in the stands Peeta winds his way to his seat. "What did I miss, Prim?"

"Peeta you made it!" She hugs him. "Katniss missed the triple axel once in warm up. She'll try again but, she looks nervous."

"Have you talked to her?"

"No, sequester rule is still in effect."

"Do they ever break it?"

"Haven't yet."

Gale, nods to Katniss and they start the approach for the triple axel, they are gaining speed and setting up for one last try when suddenly, the Russian team skates into their path. The crowd gasps as they barely avoid a collision It's obvious to anyone watching that Katniss is rattled. Gale wants to try again but the bell sounds indicating that they must leave the ice. They step off the ice and Katniss heads straight for the dressing room. Annie follows while Finnick is busy cussing out the Russian coach. Katniss and Gale are currently in second place behind the Russian team. Without the triple axels they have little chance to make up the difference.

As Gale approaches Katniss, who is pacing the room, Annie grabs his arm. "Keep your cool. Do not rile her up any more. You need to calm her."

"We have to pull them out, Gale. Put our triple, triple combo back in its place."

"Katniss, calm down. So what? You missed the axel in warm. Hell, you made three of them before Nationals and then missed it. It doesn't make any difference."

"NOT HELPING GALE." She says between gritted teeth.

"Listen to me, Catnip. We are not rearranging our routine now. Throw the triple, if you miss it, maybe we'll still get some credit. Just don't pop it."

'Easy for you to say!" She's ringing her hands and trying to catch her breath.

"Where's your phone?"

"What?"

"Where's your phone?" He picks up her bag and finds her phone in the side pocket. "Open it." She presses her thumb to the button.

Peeta is in the stands when his phone rings. He looks at Prim, holding his phone that says Katniss.

"Hey Babe!" he says as he answers the facetime call. Finding himself face to face with a super close-up of Gale's chin, Peeta jerks his head back.

"Talk to your girl. See if you can calm her down." Gale hands Katniss her phone.

"What?" She says as she looks at the phone. "Peeta?" He voice cracks.

"Hey what's going on?"

"I missed the axel in the warm up and then the Russians cut us off so I couldn't try it again. " She says rapidly before she breaks into tears.

"I know, I saw."

"You saw? Are they playing the warm ups on TV? " She's confused and sees a girl with long blonde hair sitting next to him. "Peeta, where are you?"

"Just watching with some friends." He says, turning the phone to show Prim and Haymitch.

"You're here? How?"

"We'll talk about it later. "

"Gale won't let me pull the axels out."

"And he shouldn't. Katniss, they were trying to get in your head. They know you got it and that you're going to land it. They're scared. Don't let them get away with it."

"But I haven't landed one today."

"So, I've seen you skate into practice and do one, cold. You've got it Katniss." Katniss is already breathing more calmly. "You didn't come this far to get second. Do what you have to do." He says and Katniss nods. "If you land it, I'll buy you a hot chocolate."

"Yeah?" Katniss sniffs. The music from the first competitors in their group ends. "I gotta go. I love you." Katniss freezes. OMG she just told Peeta she loves him. And he hasn't said anything…

"I love you too Katniss. So, so much. Win this thing and we'll celebrate."

The phone clicks off.

"Thank you." She says looking up at Gale and hugging him tightly.

"He loves you too, huh?"

Katniss and Gale wait at the entrance to the ice for the most important minutes of their lives. Annie approaches them from behind with an arm around each.

"Look out there," She says. "The Olympic ice, this is the most important ice you will ever skate on. This is where legends are made. But it's not real. None of it. The only thing that's real is your partner. You're just kids, showing off in that tiny little rink back home. Go out there and put on show. Show them how good you are." Annie knew exactly what they needed to hear. Gale grabs Katniss' hand and looking up at him, she doesn't see the tall, handsome man, she sees the gawky teen with legs too long for his body and braces on his teeth.

Finnick comes up at the last second and gives his pep talk. "Make them pay!" Annie refocuses them and Finnick riles them up. It's why they work so well together. Gale nods and they take the ice.

As they glide to their spot, the welcome from the crowd is warmer than usual. They must be sympathetic after the near disaster in the warm up. Katniss is wearing a costume that they've never seen before. Designed by up and coming designer, Cinna. The deep red skirt seems to shimmer and come to life under the lights. Her hair is again in the crown braid but comes to the side in a bun. Gale in a dark red shirt and black pants is intimidating.

"This is it skating fans. Finnick and Annie Odair explained that this routine tells the story of a breakup from the woman's perspective. From the heartbreak to moving on and blossoming on her own. It's an incredibly difficult program. Triple axels aside, the lifts, throws and jumps are as difficult and dangerous as they come. They also have the ability to score high on artistic merit. We'll know right away if this is a historic night. The side-by-side triple axel is their first jump. " Caesar comments.

The gentle opening strings of Adele's 'Don't You Remember' sound through the arena, Katniss and Gale work through the choreography and begin stroking the ice in their approach for the axels. The arena is silent as they switch direction for the forward take off. Just as Adele's voice cries out "Don't you remember" they take off in perfect unison. Three and a half revolutions are done in the blink of an eye and they land, still in synch with their back legs extended. The crowd cheers.

"Don't you worry," Claudius says. "We will remember you. That was beautiful. Now they need to keep it together for the rest of the program."

The smiles on their faces are hard to hide as they work their way through the intricate footwork. The music starts to blend into "Set Fire to the Rain." And Katniss and Gale take off into a faster pace.

"This program is relentless. I don't know another team that could keep up this kind of energy this late in their program. They do not hold back and they will be racking up the bonus difficulty. "

Katniss and Gale are flying through the final lift and the excitement is building in the arena. They drop to the final death spiral. They come up just as the music comes to a crescendo. The final notes of the routine are "When will I see you again?" Katniss skates away from Gale. As their fingers separate., they hit their final pose, looking back at each other.

It takes a second for the audience to catch up but once they do, the ovation is deafening. Katniss rushes to Gale and he embraces her. They are both crying and laughing at the same time. They take a moment to celebrate each other before turning to the crowd to take their bows. Tributes are thrown on the ice but the pair, ignore everything.

"Oh this is wonderful!", Caesar says. "They did everything they could. It's in the judge's hands now. In my opinion the Russians don't have anything to rival the difficulty in this program. It's going to come down to the Program Component Scores."

Flavius chimes in, "Let's have a look at how their families reacted to that performance." Video plays of the Hawthorne and Everdeen families. Gales brothers are jumping up and down. Posey is embracing her mother. Behind them Primrose Everdeen is being lifted in the air by Peeta. And beside her, Haymitch Abernathy wipes his eyes. "Well, it looks like Primrose has herself a handsome beau, and is that Madge Undersee sitting behind Gale's mother?"

Katniss and Gale have made their way to the kiss and cry area. Flanked by Annie and Finnick they await their scores. The crowd becomes restless and begins to clap in time. Gale and Katniss are holding hands but staring at the scoreboard. They register the #1 by their names first. Then they check the score. It's a record high score. One more team to go. They are guaranteed the silver but they came here for gold. They are led to a waiting area where they will be on camera as they watch their rivals.

The Russians are good. It was too much to ask that they would make a mistake. They never make a mistake. Katniss and Gale have not let go of one another's hands. They have their faces in a stoic mask. It's bad sportsman ship to react too much.

The Russians scores come up with a #2 by their name. Katniss and Gale have won the gold medal. They stand, greet their competitors then skate onto the ice to thank the crowd. They find their families in the audience and Katniss blows Peeta a kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Rounds

AKA Interviews

Katniss and Gale sit on a couch together in a television studio. Katniss' foot taps while Gale keeps clasping and unclasping his hands. "This never gets easier does it? He says.

"Nope, at least you're good at it, I can't get a word out."

"I can't wait to get back to just skating."

The last week and a half had been absolutely insane. Following their medal ceremony all Katniss wanted was to kiss Peeta for a week but, there were endless interviews and press conferences. Peeta could only stay for two days before he had to get back to his team. He came to some of the interviews but stayed off camera. All they could manage was a hand graze or a smile. It felt like the Breakfast Pact was back in effect. As they left an interview, Katniss and Peeta found themselves alone in a car with only Gale. They read each other's mind. "Look away Gale." Katniss said just as Peeta grabbed her face and kissed her hard.

"Awe, come on!" Gale said as he was forced to look out the window.

It finally came to a head the night before Peeta was set to leave. Haymitch had shown up at Katniss and Gale's suite with Gale's family, Prim and a bottle of champagne. He had renewed a few of their sponsorships for another year. Finnick and Annie arrived only minutes later and Katniss found herself with her head on Peeta's shoulder willing them all to leave. When Madge showed up, Katniss and Peeta said hello then took advantage of diversion she caused among the Hawthornes. "Are really Gale's girlfriend finally?" Vick asked as Posey squealed with excitement.

"Now," Katniss ordered and she disappeared into her bedroom. Peeta pretended to grab a snack from the room service tray then backed quietly into her bedroom and closed the door. He was a little worried when he finds it empty but then the bathroom door opened. Peeta stepped in and Katniss pushed him against the marble counter and closed the door. She attacked his mouth with kisses. "God, I love kissing you." She said. "You have to be quiet." She whispered in his ear.

"Wh…" is all Peeta got out before Katniss was on her knees and unbuttoning his pants.

Peeta sighed as quietly as he could manage when Katniss took him into her mouth. "So good." He whispered. "Please baby. Do we have a condom?"

Katniss stood and opened her cosmetic case to find a roll of golden foil packets. "They give them out in the Olympic Village. They're even our brand." She whispered.

Peeta wasted no time, positioning her on the counter and sliding into her. They tried their best to be quiet but, they could only hope no one wandered into her bedroom.

Peeta left the bathroom first. After she put herself back together, Katniss rejoined the party, sitting on Peeta's lap. Gale walked by them, "You're welcome for the distraction." Katniss looked down ashamed and Peeta kissed her neck softly.

He left her bed in the morning having used a few more gold medal condoms. Katniss hasn't seen him in person since. She and Gale had to stay another week. They performed in the exhibition and then attended the closing ceremonies. Katniss took the time to get to know Madge a little better. She decided they might be friends someday. By the time Katniss was back home, Peeta was in the air on his way back to Korea.  
====================

Since being back in the US, Katniss has watched all Peeta's games live at the Ice Center. She's anxious to be on her way back to him but the invite to be on the Effie Trinket show was too good to pass up. If she leaves right after, she will see the team play for either the bronze or gold medal.

"Hello, Darlings, such a pleasure to meet you." Effie Trinket's 6 inch heals click clack on the cement floor, as she approaches. "Katniss Dear, I was so hoping your Uncle Haymitch would come with you today. We knew each other well many years ago."

"I didn't know that or I would have told him we were coming." The stagehand holds up a single finger, letting Effie know they were about to go on the air.

"Now, we're just going to have a little chat." She says trying to put them at ease as if going on live television is normal. Effie Trinket knows how to calm nervous guests. She also knows how to get them to spill their deepest secrets.

"We'll show some video of your performance and talk about what you accomplished in Korea. I understand you broke records, no?" They both nod. "Good, good now don't be nervous. It'll be over before you know it. Chins up, smiles bright, you'll be brilliant."

Before Katniss and Gale have a chance to respond the camera turns on.

"Good Morning and welcome back to Effie's Big, Big Day. Well if you're like me, you have spent two weeks g–luuued to your television watching the Winter Olympics from South Korea. And if you're like me and you have an appreciation of beautiful things, you will have noticed these two gorgeous young people."

A video montage of their Olympic programs fills the monitors.

"Simply, breathtaking." "Beautiful." Effie comments through the video. When it finishes she turns her attention to the pair in front of her. "Now I understand that you set a few records with your performances." Gale goes on to explain the importance of side-by-side triple axels.

"And as a result, we received the highest technical and total score ever given." The crowd cheers.

"My, my, that is extraordinary. Now, darlings, how did you start skating together?

"Our first coach, Mags put us together," Katniss explains. "I was 12 and had just lost my father."

"Poor dear," Effie reaches out to touch Katniss' arm.

"Mags was afraid I would stop skating. She thought if I had someone else counting on me, I'd keep going. And Gale…" Katniss send him a small smile. "Gale was 14 and had started getting teased for not playing hockey like the other boys. Mags thought skating with a girl would make it cool for him."

"She was right." Gale raises an eyebrow and smiles and the audience goes wild.

"Now everyone wants to know, are you two together?" She motions her hand between them.

Katniss is confused, "Oh, we're together all the time."

Effie giggles, "No darling, are you a couple?"

"Oh," Katniss blushes and looks down so Gale steps in.

"Katniss and I are both in relationships with other people." The crowd sighs.

Katniss smiles glad to finally have it out there and thinking how happy it will make Peeta.

"Now that is disappointing, I know there are "Everthorne" fans out there who will be heartbroken. So what's next for you two?"

"Well, we have a week off." Katniss answers.

"And what will you do, during your week off?"

"I plan to sleep." Gale answers "But Katniss is headed back to Korea."

"And why is that Darling?" She's fishing.

Katniss looks to Gale for encouragement. "My boyfriend is on the US Paralympic Sled Hockey Team."

"Well isn't that marvelous, you must bring him on the show sometime. What's his name? "

"Peeta and he would like that very much."

"And you Gale, who is your paramour?"

Gale gives a big laugh and says. "You're not going to get that out of me, Effie. We're not ready to go public just yet but you'll be the first to know."

"So will you continue to skate together?"

"Well, World's is next month and we don't have World title yet." Gale answers and the crowd cheers

"Well thank you both for coming and I hope you will come back again." Effie turns to the camera. "Next on Big, Big Day, Body piercing is it for you?"

Effie, kisses them each twice on the cheek, sends her regards to Haymitch and toddles away on her high heals, leaving Katniss and Gale dumfounded and dismissed.

"Well, you and Peeta are out of the closet!"

"Guess so."

Before leaving they pose for photos with Effie and her staff. They wave goodbye to the crowd then leave through the stage door. Two identical limos pull up. Katniss tears herself away from the selfie seekers who have gathered outside the studio and makes her way to the first limo. She opens the door to find Madge. Madge raises her finger to her lips. Katniss calls to Gale, "Hey, Gale. Your ride is here!" the second limo pulls closer and she gets in. Her luggage is already inside. She'll see Peeta soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Paralympics

Peeta gets his shot.

Katniss doesn't get a block from the studio before her cell phone rings.

"Hey Haymitch, what's the story with you and Effie Trinket?"

"Never mind that. You just told the world where you are headed."

"I didn't, Gale did."

"No, you just gave them a time and place."

"So?"

"So. Now I have to scramble to get more security in place. Do not get out of the car at the airport until I get a bodyguard to meet you."

"I'm not missing this flight, Haymitch."

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into Sweetheart. Once you win the gold medal, everything changes. You and Gale have been too busy to notice that things are different now. Think about what it's like when you go to an interview with the people standing outside. Now, imagine there is no security or barricades for them to stand behind. Did you think you were just going to walk to your gate without anyone noticing?"

"OK! I get it. Are you doing this for Gale too?"

"Gale knew enough not to give a live television audience his flight information. He has some discrete security but you're heading into the belly of the beast. Just stay in the car. I'll let your driver know."

Katniss can't help but think her life will never be the same. Haymitch calls back a few minutes later with instructions for her and her driver.

"Effie Trinket said to send you her love. What's the story there?"

"It was a long time ago, before I came to live with you and your sister." He tries to dismiss this line of questioning but Katniss won't let it go.

"Did you date her?"

"Don't know if I call it dating. I remember she was dynamite in the sack."

"Eeeew."

"Then don't ask. She looks good though, wears too much makeup but she's still a good looking bird. Maybe I'll give her a jingle"

"Let me know how that goes. Or wait, don't." Katniss laughs.

"Have a good flight Sweetheart. There will be security waiting for you when you arrive. Don't give them any trouble. You'll have security at your hotel too. They've got Peeta and his family's names so don't answer your door to anyone else."

"Hey Haymitch? "

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Stay safe. Have fun."

The first sign that things were not as they once were hit as soon as Katniss left the limo, she was immediately surrounded by paparazzi asking rude questions and snapping pictures. Now that she thinks about it, she's never travelled without Gale. She does feel a little unsafe. Getting inside and into the first class lounge is like running the gauntlet but, she's delivered safely and handed off to the airline security guard.

Once the plane is off the ground, the flight attendant approaches her.

"Miss Everdeen, there's a young girl who is very excited that you are on the same flight. She wants to know if she can get a photo with you."

"Sure, of course."

A few minutes later Katniss is shaking hands with a very excited young girl. "Hi , What's your name?" She greets the little girl whose face falls when she sees Katniss is alone.

"Where's Gale?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, he's not with me. "

"My name's Rue. I'm a skater too. Why are you going to Korea now?"

"I'm coming for the Paralympics. I have a very good friend, my boyfriend actually, who plays on the hockey team. I'm coming to cheer him on."

"I thought Gale was your boyfriend." She says disappointed.

"No, sorry sweetie. He's not my boyfriend. He's like my brother though. We've been together our whole lives. Do you have a brother?"

"Yes, he's a skier. He's skiing in a couple days for the USA."

"Well what's his name, I'll cheer for him."

"Really? His name is Thresh, Thresh Daniels. He thinks you're pretty."

"Yeah. I'll write it down to be sure to find him." Katniss says using the same pen Rue had given her for an autograph.

"What's your boyfriend's name? Is he cute."

"My boyfriend's name is Peeta and I think he's very cute." Katniss can't help the smile on her face. She can say it now. Peeta Mellark is her boyfriend!

After the flight attendant takes her little friend back to her seat, Katniss has a minute to think about the last time she was making this trip. "Flying to our destiny" Gale had teased. All her life she had one single-minded quest and she was flying to it. It was a long trip, there were huge obstacles in the way; the loss of her parents, and later their coach, Darius and her own insecurities and worry that followed. Gale provided support. Haymitch provided for her survival and she got through it. And now, Peeta is her future and she wants to do more than get through it. It was a little over a year ago that she first saw those blue eyes following her as she came to practice. She felt a small thrill the first time he smiled at her but she couldn't imagine the place he would hold in her life just a year later. It's seems like it has taken a life time and it seems like it was just a blink of the eye but he has a hold of her heart. He could have been the end of her partnership with Gale but somehow his presence has strengthened it. It doesn't really make sense, except to say, Peeta is special.

After the World Championships, she and Gale will decide where their career will go next. Peeta and Madge will play a part in their decision. For now and for the first time, she's a going to be a spectator at an Olympic event. She's just a girlfriend watching her boyfriend play hockey. A girlfriend that needs a security escort through the airport but just a girlfriend, nonetheless.

Her arrival in Korea is a madhouse. She is ushered through a crowd of over excited Korean schoolgirls to a golf cart. Sitting backward in the cart, she feels like she's in a parade waving to the people as they call her name. She checks her phone and there are two messages from Peeta. The first one telling her they won the semi-final and are playing Canada for the gold. The second simply asks her to text when she arrives.

There's also a photo from Gale. He's with Madge on a secluded beach in the Bahamas. They look happy in the sandy beach selfie he sends.

She responds to Peeta. "I'm baaaaack!"

Peeta: Can't wait to see you. Dad will pick you up at your hotel for the game. Gotta go. Love you.

That evening, there's a knock on her door. She looks through the peephole expecting to see the smiling face of Peeta's dad. Instead she spies two blonde heads of hair. "Get out of the way, she doesn't know you goofballs. Katniss honey, it's me, Bannock Mellark."

Katniss opens the door to the Great Wall of Mellark. Mr. Mellark stands between two men that bear a strong resemblance to Peeta. "Sis!" they yell in unison. "Damn you're prettier in person, Peet was right," One says. "Much too pretty for our little brother." Says the other

Katniss doesn't know what to say. "Stop it boys, you're embarrassing her. Katniss these are Peeta's brothers, Rye and Bran. And, His mother, Phoebe."

Katniss turns to see a very distinguished looking woman with her hair pulled into a tight bun. She wears USA earmuffs and a red, white and blue scarf over a white cashmere sweater with a gorgeous fur lined swing coat. It looks as if she's trying to dress to fit the occasion but she can't imaging wearing sport gear. The brothers and Mr. Mellark are decked head to toe in USA Sled Hockey gear.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Mellark. I wasn't aware you were all coming."

"Well, my son is playing for the Gold Medal. Plus Peeta told us you were coming, we thought it would be a nice opportunity to meet you. We thought you'd be here a few days ago though"

Katniss translates this to say: What a nice opportunity to judge you and you're already failing. Boy, is she glad she took a nap before they showed up. She could not imagine facing this group jet lagged. "Yeah, sorry about that, we had a few more appearances to make. I wasn't going to miss this game though."

"We're under orders from Peet to give you this to wear tonight. He figures as long as you're out now, you should wear it." Mr. Mellark hands Katniss a shopping bag. Katniss looks inside to find his official white uniform sweater. "They're wearing blue tonight, he wanted you to wear the white one. Katniss holds up the huge jersey to see the number 12 MELLARK on the back and she smiles.

She runs to the bathroom and puts it on over her t-shirt and black leggings. She looks ridiculous. She's swimming in it and it's down to her knees. She loves to wear Peeta's shirts to bed and around the apartment but, this is made to go over hockey pads. She steps out of the bathroom and the boys laugh.

"We can fix it, maybe a belt." Mrs. Mellark says.

"Good idea! I'm never good at this sort of thing, Thank you."

Mrs. Mellark has Katniss looking pretty good when they leave, with the belted and bloused sweater with her snow boats and her hair in a braid so you can see MELLARK on her back.

As they leave her room, her security guards take up positions in front and behind. They stop her from getting in the tiny elevator with the Mel larks.

"Ma'am, Gentlemen, We will follow on the next elevator. There's not enough room for all of us."

When she joins them in the lobby, she apologizes. "This is new to me too, I'm hoping it won't be like this for long."

"It is a lot," Mr. Mellark says, until they step outside of the hotel. He corrects himself "But maybe needed." They are blinded by flashes and pushed by fans trying to get to Katniss. Peeta's brothers automatically join the security team in forming a wall around Katniss and their parents as they shuffle the group into their waiting car.

"It's my fault for saying I was coming here to see my boyfriend on television. "

"Awe don't say that. You should have seen how happy Peety was when you said his name." Says one brother, Katniss isn't sure which yet.

"He was happy?"

"Puffed up like a god-damn peacock." Says the other brother. "So I told him not to get too full of himself, Gale is still better looking." The volume of laughter in the limo is deafening.

Dealing with the crowd is easier once they make it to the ice hockey arena. There is a rumble through the crowd when they step into the stands and necks crane to get a look at Katniss. There are whispers when they see Katniss in the MELLARK sweater and surrounded by three men all sporting number 12 as well. Her security, allows her to sit in their seats alone. They take up positions nearby to be able to watch the crowd, not the game. She finds herself in a sandwich between the brothers. She thinks the bodyguards may have arranged this with them in the car. Katniss feels safe and even ignored once the game begins.

The first period of the game is uneventful. You can tell both teams are hyped up and ready to play and there's a lot of back and forth on the ice and more than a few body checks into the boards but every attempt on goal is blocked. Mrs. Mellark gasps the first time she sees Peeta knocked off his blade.

Between periods Peeta's brothers see some friends they met after the Russia semi-final game and they go off to say hello, leaving Katniss with Mrs. Mellark. "Is this the first time you are seeing him play?" Katniss asks.

"Third. There was last night and I saw him once before when they played a game near home. He had just moved to Colorado a few months before. I couldn't make it through a full game."

"It's hard to see. I want to run down to the ice every time. He used to say that about when I'd fall too. It's natural, I guess."

"I don't understand why he wants to do something that can cause him pain. He's been through enough."

"That's the point though. They don't want to be treated like men who have been through enough. They want to be hockey players. They want to play and compete at the top levels of competition." Mrs. Mellark looks at her like she's speaking Martian. "Have you had a chance to talk to the guys on the team yet?" She shakes her head. "They're from all walks of life and are all there for different reason. Some were born disabled, some had accidents, like Peeta. A few are war Vets who credit sled hockey for helping them fight PTSD, and live again. They've been through hell some of them. But it's never enough, not if they get to feel like they do on the ice."

"Peeta has always talked about starting an organization to help kids with disabilities get into sports."

"I know, it's one of the first things we ever talked about."

"Would you, with everything you have going on, support that?"

"I would and he'll support me in whatever I decide to do when I stop skating. We'll work it out together."

"Are you planning a future with my son?"

"If he'll have me." Katniss looks her straight in the eye. She knows Peeta and his mother have had a difficult relationship but right now, she's seeing a woman, protecting her son.

Play resumes in the second period and the US finds themselves down 2-1 at the end of it. The crowd is going crazy, a Canada/ US final is what everyone wanted and it is not disappointing. Katniss is hoarse with all the cheering. Peeta's brothers are yelling and bumping Katniss back and forth between them. They even start a chant of "Peeta, Peeta, Peeta!"

The US scores again late in the third and it looks like they are heading to overtime when the forward for Canada loses the puck in a pass under his sled. Peeta sees it and is in a position to steal. He digs into the ice with this sticks and heads for the puck. Another Canadian player catches him from behind and they both fall from their blades. Peeta is on his side, on the ice when he sees the puck just out of his reach. There's no time to right his sled on the blade so he pushes off to slide on the ice just barely capturing the puck on his stick. He immediately flicks his wrist to pass it to his teammate, Marvel who is heading full speed to the Canadian goal. Marvel fakes one way then passes the puck under the front end of his sled and catches it with his other stick. Quick as lightning he fires on the Canadian goal.

The goalie is good and stops the shot with his pads but he doesn't control the puck and it bounces out just enough for Marvel to get it again and put it just beyond the goalies reach. The goal horn sounds and seconds later the game clock winds down. The US has repeated as Olympic Gold Medal winners.

Pandemonium rains down on the ice. Fans are screaming the players have thrown their pads in the air and are piling on top of one another. Peeta's brothers take turns picking Katniss up and bouncing her in the air. Peeta's father has his arm around his wife. Bannock has tears welling in his eyes and Phoebe's eyes are glassy as well, one single tear falls and she wipes it away quickly. They embrace and Katniss reads Bannock's lips as he says "That's our boy!" Phoebe just nods and buries her face in her husband's shoulder. They spent years worrying about their disabled son then he grows up and does something so extraordinary. Their pride and relief show on their faces.

The US team, salutes their opponents and then the celebrations continue as the players circle the arena to look for their families in the stands. Katniss can't stop herself, she leaves her seat and finds her way to the rink's edge. Her bodyguards fly into action and help her reach her goal. One of Peeta's teammates sees Katniss and calls, "She's over here Peeta!" Peeta is on the other side of the glass from her as he tries to find an access point for Katniss to join him on the ice. Suddenly a partition opens near the bench and Katniss finds herself face to face with him. He's removed his helmet and his hair is a curly, sweaty mess. There's a small cut under one eye. He's never looked better to her. She bends down as he reaches up to her and they kiss. Cameras are clicking all around them. "Hi Girlfriend." He says when she stops kissing to congratulate him. One of the team coaches drapes an American flag on Peeta's shoulders and Katniss kneels down to kiss him again. Peeta scoops her up onto his lap. She wraps her arms around his neck and sitting on one of his legs, she pulls her legs up to her chest and braces her feet on his other thigh.

"Can you balance like this?"

"It's what I do, Peeta!" she says kissing him again. She grabs the flag and keeps it wrapped around them as he uses the sticks to propel them around the rink with the other players.

Later, as Peeta and the team accept their medals and the anthem plays, Katniss is overwhelmed and starts to cry. A year ago, they made a pact. Their goals came first. Then little by little it was obvious that no matter how much they tried to block out love, sometimes it still finds you and your life is better for it. Falling in love wasn't one of her goals but it's funny how it worked out. Standing here, watching him achieve his goal after she achieved her own just a few weeks ago, should feel like an ending. It doesn't. It feels like a beginning.


	15. Chapter 15

Epilogue: The World is ours

The Happy Ever After

Katniss and Peeta sit next to Finnick and a pregnant Annie in the front row of an audience. They are dressed up, Peeta in a dark suit and Katniss in a form fitting red dress with her hair is down. She's even wearing a little makeup. They are a gorgeous couple and camera ready. A woman wearing a headset and carrying a tablet kneels beside Katniss. "Hello Miss Everdeen, I'm Cecelia the producer. Don't you look gorgeous? And who is this with you?"

"This is my fiancée…."

"Peeta Mellark, of course. " She says, shaking his hand. "You won a gold medal too, didn't you?"

"Yes, as part of the US Sled Hockey Paralympic team."

"Peeta, Katniss has already agreed to be filmed and interviewed. Would you agree to as well?"

Peeta looks to Katniss who nods and he agrees.

"Excellent I'll need you to sign a release and I'll make sure to get your info to graphics. Now Brutus likes to interview spontaneously so I never know what he may ask. Remember this is Live TV. You'll go on just before Gale's performance."

"What did we get ourselves into?" Katniss asks Peeta when she runs off to talk to someone else.

"I ask myself that all the time." He says and he kisses her a bit inappropriately for a family show.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Peeta's Paralympic experience was better than he could imagine. His family stayed a couple days and together they took in some of the events. Katniss was always the center of attention wherever she went. She was gracious and accommodating to the selfie and autograph seekers. When his family was about to leave, his mother pulled him aside to hand him a small box. He knew immediately what it was. He had asked his father to bring it with him to Korea. Peeta suspected that was the reason his mother came too. She wanted to check Katniss out.

"She's a lovely girl, Peeta, just be sure you're not blinded by all the glitz. "

"Mom, there's no glitz in our real lives. We can't wait to be rid of the glitz."

After the closing ceremonies they headed back to the US. While making a connection in San Francisco, something on the newsstand caught their eye. On the cover of People magazine is a photo of Katniss and Gale in one of the sexiest poses from their short program. Above is the headline, "Love is Golden". There are two smaller inset pictures. One is the photo of Katniss and Peeta wrapped in the flag and smiling adoringly at each other. The other is Gale and Madge making out in the surf of their not so secluded beach. It's obvious the photo was taken with a strong telephoto lens.

"Looks like Gadge are public now too." Katniss laughs at the name Peeta calls their friends.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It's the Grand Finale of Dancing with the Stars! Tonight our two remaining contestants will be dancing one final time! Will it be Clove Johnson, the fitness guru or Gale Hawthorne the Olympic and World Champion Ice Skater. " Brutus Anderson greets his audience.

"Last week Madge Undersee was eliminated." The camera pans to Madge, sitting with the other eliminated contestants. "Stunning her boyfriend and competitor, Gale."

"Who will bring home the mirror ball? We will find out tonight! We have quite a show tonight so, lets get started!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Peeta attended the World Championship with Katniss, Gale and their coaches in the official capacity of physical therapist. Katniss and Gale were dominant once they added the triple axels to their short program as well. The audiences were just as receptive as they were when they thought Everthorne was a couple. They came away with their first World Championship Gold.

Following the competition, Peeta and Katniss flew off for a beach vacation of their own. While Gale and Madge were headed to LA to train for their Dancing with the Stars debut.

In a hammock on a veranda, just feet from the ocean, Peeta placed the small box on Katniss' bare abdomen.

"Peeta?" Katniss' voice waivered.

"This was my grandmother's ring. She and I were very close, she taught me how to bake when I was recuperating from my accident. She left this ring to me to give it to my "One and Only". That's what she always called my grandfather. You're mine, you're my one and only Katniss. I knew the minute I saw you. By the time we spoke, I was a goner and would have followed you anywhere just to spend time with you. I know it's quick if you consider how long we've been a couple. But to me…."

"Yes." She cut off his plea. "I know. Yes, Peeta. I love you so much and I always will. You're my one and only too."

"I haven't asked you yet!"

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"Hello Katniss Everdeen!" Host Brutus is interviewing Katniss and Peeta on camera as they stand in the audience. "So what do you think of your partner as a dancer? Is he any different from skating Gale?"

"We've been watching him," she says indicating Peeta standing next to her. "And he wears a lot more sparkles and makeup as a dancer. He also takes his shirt off a lot more."

Brutus laughs, "That might be the key to his success."

"Maybe" Katniss agrees.

"Peeta, it's a pleasure to meet you. You are Katniss' new fiancée. Now everyone knows, Katniss' uncle is Haymitch Abernathy, the bad boy of skating from the 90s. Did you ask his permission to marry his niece?"

"I did, I asked both Haymitch and Gale."

"Who scared you the most?"

"Haymitch, definitely." Peeta laughs. "All you need to win Gale's favor is a good meal. Madge will agree."

Madge nods on camera.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Katniss picks up her phone. "Hey, Haymitch, where are you? Is that a seagull I hear? Are you at the beach? Are you in LA again? "

"Doesn't matter where I am. I'm working to secure some endorsements for you and that partner of yours."

"Sounds like you're working on Effie Trinket."

"No work needed there. She's easy."

Katniss hears a high-pitched voice say "Haymitch!" then there's a slap.

"Ah, woman, don't hit me with all those rings on "

"So why did you call?" Katniss says trying to bring the conversation back on point.

"Need the Boy actually, I got an underwear gig for him."

"No way."

"Sweetheart we all know you're a prude, let me talk to your boy."

Katniss hands Peeta the phone. She tries to listen to his conversation but Peeta walks away.

"I'll do it on one condition." She hears when he comes back in the room. "They need to show my prosthetic." He nods. "OK, thanks Haymitch. Do you want Katniss, again?" there's a pause and Peeta smiles that crooked smile. The dimple calms Katniss' nerves.

"Tell me you're not going to pose in your underwear."

"I'm posing in my underwear. It's a campaign about being you and feeling good about it. They're showing men from all walks of life. I think it's a good thing."

"Oh, I get it. I just don't want people looking at my man." She says with a scowl.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Gale Hawthorne. "

Gale's, finale performance is a fast paced Latin number. He's dressed in a pair of tight white pants and a sparkling shirt that is completely open. As he shakes his hips in time to the music, Katniss looks at Peeta with a raised eyebrow. Peeta raises his right back. His performance is quick and ends with him sliding across the floor on his knees and ending right at Katniss' feet.

Katniss' face has turned bright red. The audience is cheering its approval. Gale stands up. He lifts Katniss' left hand with her diamond ring catching the lights of the studio, and gives it a kiss. When he goes to kiss Katniss' cheek, She can't take it anymore and swats him away. Peeta is trying unsuccessfully to stop laughing. Gale laughs then turns to his mother seated nearby and kisses her on the cheek instead. He heads over to get his scores. They're perfect.

Later, Gale and Clove stand with their partners awaiting the decision.

"And the Dancing with the Stars Champion is… Gale Hawthorne!" The other dancers surround Gale and put him and his partner on their shoulders. Confetti is falling. When they set Gale down, he sweeps Madge off her feet in a dramatic dip and kisses her. The crowd cheers and the show ends.

Gale sees Katniss standing off to the side of the dance floor and runs to her, picking her up and swinging her around. Madge follows closely behind and stands next to him with her arm possessively around his bare waist. "I missed you Catnip! I got something to tell you."

"That you won Dancing with the Stars? I know already."

"Madge is pregnant. We're getting married next week. Will you be my best man?" Katniss is gobsmacked and just nods a reply.

Later that night following the Dancing with the Stars wrap party that never seemed to end. Katniss and Peeta head back to their hotel room. Katniss is walking barefoot and carries the torturous heels she's been wearing all night, she leans heavily on his shoulder. "So that was interesting," she says as they enter their room. "Who knew Gale could move like that?

"So you liked it then? Maybe I should take them up on the offer to join next season's cast." She gives him that scowl he loves. "What? You don't think I could do it?" He takes her hand and twirls her into his body. He holds her hips close to his as he does a cha-cha step "You don't think, I could move my hips like that?"

"Oh I know you can." She says as he backs her into the bed and has her sit down. He steps back then rips his shirt open exposing his toned chest. Katniss' little voice screams MINE!

Peeta is now dancing by himself, holding his arms as if he's dancing with an imaginary partner and he is humming an unrecognizable, somewhat Latin tune. He turns around and wiggles his ass at her. She can't help but giggle. He's so damn cute. "It's just, the whole world already knows what you look like in your underwear. They don't need to know what you can do with those hips. That's just for me." She give his butt a playful swat.

"I don't care if they see me. You're the only one who will ever have me." He says as he cha-chas back around to kiss her. She pulls him down on top of her.

"Don't you forget it." She says as she pushes him over to scramble on top. She straddles his lap and bunches up her dress to pull it over her head. She starts kissing across his chest, nibbling on each nipple as she goes." He groans his approval.

"You know, Gale is having a baby, Annie and Finnick are having a baby and, you have a year off from competing so I was thinking…" Katniss halts her kissing assault of his neck.

"Stop right there, Mellark. Talk to me in four years. I have another Olympic Gold Medal to win. " She looks at her fiancée, afraid she was too harsh and hoping she doesn't see disappointment on his face. Instead the DIMPLE makes an appearance.

"I know." He says. "But, I think we should make a pact to practice everyday."

"Just once a day?" she teases.

"Ok, sometimes twice a day."

"Maybe up the difficulty?" She adds.

"Hmmm. That's a good idea. Then when the time comes, we'll be ready." He says as she grinds her hips into his.

"We'll have to be very dedicated." She says kissing him with a smile on her face. "We can allow no distractions."

"No distractions." He agrees before he takes control and flips her onto her back. "Now there's something new I want to try."


End file.
